Women's skirt - not quite bodycon, not quite pencil...

July 25, 2021 10:50 PM

What kind of skirt am I looking for? Above knee-length, snug but not restrictively tight, thick fabric. Can't find the right search terms.

I have no idea if this exists or not. I'm looking for a skirt I can wear in the winter over tights/leggings or tall socks. Ideally it would be a little above the knee, snug/tight (so some kind of stretchy fabric), and warm (for some reason I keep thinking about fleece? But that might not be stretchy enough). I want it to be thick enough that you can't see the lines of my underwear, and tight enough that it doesn't flap around in the wind. Searching for "bodycon skirt" has some of what I want, but almost everything I find is either really short and/or is made of a very thin fabric and looks more appropriate for clubbing. "Pencil skirt" has some results but most of them seem to be below the knee, or made of a stiffer/more formal fabric. The waist would preferably be not a zipper, and hopefully not a thick elastic waistband either. This skirt on Etsy comes closest so far, though I'm worried about how high-waisted it is. I am 5'4" with relatively short legs, and have very wide thighs. Any suggestions for places to look and/or search terms to use would be appreciated.

posted by skycrashesdown to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

I bet you could have a few made. It looks very simple and you could get it in a few thick stretchy fabrics.
posted by pairofshades at 11:25 PM on July 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ponte knit fabric
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:25 PM on July 25, 2021 [11 favorites]

You're looking for A-line or mini skirts for the cut, but you must filter by fabrics with stretch, like anything that's knit or with elastane/lycra/spandex.

eta: i know common fast fashion doesn't really have the concept of lining anymore, but you should think about skirts with lining as well, for the coverage and wearability you're looking for.
posted by cendawanita at 11:33 PM on July 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

My best guess for your requirements is that you just want a basic "tube skirt." Ideally in wool or a majority-wool blend because it's an excellent fiber for you retaining warmth in the cold while capable of looking business-casual if you need it to; knit for stretch and the right type of cling you mentioned. A lot of things labeled "tube skirt" are made of really thin and cheap material, though; you're going to want to watch out for that, especially in the sub-$50 MSRP space.

I'm really not finding a lot of them right now, but here are a couple of examples: 1, 2, 3, 4 (though sequined ... but at least that would definitely hide VPL!), 5 (maybe, hard to tell how opaque it is online).
posted by Pandora Kouti at 12:03 AM on July 26, 2021 [2 favorites]

Sweater skirt? When I look for them I have to add in full or a-line or flared to filter out all the tight ones like that.
posted by Mizu at 12:30 AM on July 26, 2021

Above knee, pencil skirt and stretch fabric should go a long way as search terms and filters.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:34 AM on July 26, 2021

Ponte fabric is great. I search for this term when buying my trousers/ leggings. I have similar issues, I like wearing leggings for the stretchiness and plus they look good and form-fitting, yet most leggings are thin and emphasise the pelvic area wayyy too much for my comfort. Ponte trousers are my favourite fashion discovery ever. Ponte fabric generally tend to be thick (no lining required), form-fitting, stretchy, yet stiff enough to have a little shape to them. LOVE them.
posted by moiraine at 1:43 AM on July 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Combining two terms people mention above, a sweater tube skirt looks promising. This one at Target is on sale. Also on sale (but for a lot more:) This Fair Isle tube skirt from JCrew looks especially cozy and is really pretty though you'd have to shorten it to be above the knee.
posted by nantucket at 3:16 AM on July 26, 2021

This is a style I like and I have a pile of skirts like this, though I will say none terribly thick. It's a look I go for during the winter for ease of boot wearing, so I usually pair it with doubled up leggings and a coat that covers my butt. I've refered to the skirts before providing both modesty and color, I don't really consider them skirts since for me they're far too short to feel comfortable without leggings.

My winning search phrase is jersey mini skirt. This is an example result on amazon. These are all just stretchy tubes so the waist is just a suggestion, I typically cheat them down a bit.

My favorite one is a bit thicker has irregular tiny dots all over it and is from H&M, but according to my email I got it in 2015 so I'm sure it's long gone now.

There's also a lot of versatility in a denim mini skirt for the same reasons.
posted by phunniemee at 4:46 AM on July 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Scuba might also be a good search term - it's thick (double knit synthetic) and stretchy.
posted by beyond_pink at 7:24 AM on July 26, 2021 [3 favorites]

Yes to the recommendations above for ponte or scuba fabric. These are my favorite skirts for ease of leggings and boot-wearing too. For specific places to look, I'd suggest Boden, Talbots, or J. Crew - or try Poshmark and Mercari.
posted by notjustthefish at 8:41 AM on July 26, 2021

I feel like this is something Ann Taylor LOFT has every fall, usually labeled "Pull On" and they have petite sizing which might get you the right length.
posted by mcgsa at 9:20 AM on July 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

A line ponte, or ponte pencil skirt.
posted by slateyness at 10:15 AM on July 26, 2021

Nthing that you want a pencil skirt made from ponte material. This was my go-to work outfit for years! I always got mine at Nordstrom, which looks to still have a decent selection. The style is generally high-waisted, so I’d expect it to come up over your navel.
posted by whitewall at 11:10 AM on July 26, 2021

It's not as tight as the one you linked and perhaps a bit long for your tastes, but I used to have a skirt quite like this one from the gap, which was described as a knit pencil skirt. From what I remember it was a thick-ish material, like joggers material but not hot. Never wrinkled or rose up, looked good with everything, and no visible lines from whatever was underneath. I believe the skirt pictured has a zip up the back, but mine was just pull-on.

I forgot how much I missed this skirt and am now inspired to search for it!
posted by sm1tten at 11:44 AM on July 26, 2021

Maybe a "skort"? Usually worn by tennis players, consists of bodycon shorts but have an external "layer" that still looks similar to a skirt.
posted by kschang at 1:55 PM on July 26, 2021

Maybe this one from universal standard?
posted by katieanne at 7:53 PM on July 26, 2021

I bought this one the other week and am excited to wear it when it gets cooler. Very flattering fit.
posted by dotparker at 8:11 AM on July 27, 2021